ClearNotice FAQ

ClearNotice explains IRS notices in plain English and prepares complete response packages. Upload a photo of your letter, get a free explanation with your exact deadline, and, if you choose to respond, receive an IRS-formatted response letter, document checklist and mailing instructions for $39. See the full walkthrough on how it works.

Over 100 notice types, including CP2000, CP14, CP504, LT11, CP05 and 5071C. Browse the complete directory or use the notice lookup. If we can't confidently handle your specific notice, we tell you upfront and you pay nothing.

Understanding your notice is always free: the explanation, your deadline, and all our tools and guides. You only pay ($39, one-time) if you want the complete response package. Full details on the pricing page.

Take a photo of your IRS letter and upload it, no account, no email, no card needed. Your free explanation appears in under a minute.

Phone photos (JPG, PNG, HEIC), scans, and PDFs. Folded, crumpled or slightly blurry letters usually read fine. If we can't read your document, we tell you immediately, and you pay nothing.

The free explanation appears in under a minute. A complete response package takes about 10 minutes, most of which is you answering a few guided questions about your situation.

No, by design. You review, sign and send the response yourself with the exact instructions we provide (mailing address, fax number, or the IRS document upload portal). You stay in full control of what is sent to the IRS in your name.

Not to get your free explanation. An account is only created when you purchase a response package, so we can deliver your documents and send your deadline reminders.

Don't assume it's over. Many notices still have options after the printed date, follow-up windows, penalty relief, payment plans. Upload your letter and we'll show what's still possible for your specific notice.

Upload the most recent one first, it reflects the current state of your case. If they concern the same tax problem, the $99 Resolution Plan covers unlimited notices for that situation, including follow-up letters over time.

One-time, per notice. No recurring charge, no auto-renewal, nothing to cancel. Complex multi-letter cases can use the $99 Resolution Plan, also one-time. Compare plans on the pricing page.

Yes. If we can't deliver a usable response package for your notice, you're refunded in full. We also tell you before payment if your notice is outside what we can confidently handle.

All major credit and debit cards, processed securely by Stripe. We never see or store your card number.

Yes, view a sample response package to judge exactly what you'd receive, and read reviews from people who used it on their own notices.

Your documents are encrypted in transit and at rest. Access is strictly limited to the systems that analyze your letter. Full details in our privacy policy.

Never. Your data is not sold to anyone and never used to train public AI models. It exists to serve one purpose: explaining your notice and preparing your response.

Yes, one click in your account permanently deletes your documents and data, anytime. Documents uploaded without an account are automatically purged after processing.

No. ClearNotice is a document preparation service. We explain your notice and prepare response documents based on your answers. We do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice, and we do not represent you before the IRS. Full statement in our disclaimer.

For Tax Court deadlines (CP3219A), active levies, large debts, business payroll issues, or anything involving potential fraud allegations, a licensed CPA, enrolled agent or tax attorney is the right call, and ClearNotice will tell you so when your notice falls into those categories.

No. ClearNotice is an independent private service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Internal Revenue Service or any government agency.

Real IRS letters arrive by postal mail, carry a notice number and tax year, and never demand payment by gift card, wire or crypto. The IRS doesn't initiate contact by email, text or social media. When in doubt, verify your balance directly in your IRS Online Account rather than calling a number printed on a suspicious letter.

Top right or bottom right corner of the first page, it starts with CP (like CP2000), LT (like LT11), or "Letter" plus a number (like Letter 5071C). Then look it up to see what it means.

A documented, factual response almost never does. Most notices, including the CP2000, are handled by automated units separate from examinations. The riskier path is ignoring the notice, which guarantees assessment of the full proposed amount.

Notices escalate on a predictable path: reminders, then levy warnings, then enforcement, with penalties and interest growing at every step. Each notice's guide (e.g. CP14, CP504) details its exact escalation. The earlier you respond, the more options you keep.

More than most people think: short and long-term payment plans, penalty abatement, hardship statuses. Estimate what's growing with the penalty calculator, and upload your notice to see the options that fit your specific letter.